Starting Again
by Amaris Ethne
Summary: What if Tom and B'Elanna had something when they were in the Maquis? Well, read to find out what I think. PART OF PART TWO IS UP!
1. Default Chapter

Starting Again  
  
  
  
B'Elanna held her breath as she watched Paris pilot the Maquis ship Liberty into the Badlands. They were under heavy attack from a Dominion vessel, and the Liberty had sustained heavy damage. Their only hope was to seek the safety of the turbulent space known as the Badlands. B'Elanna had every faith that Tom could pilot the ship through the storms, but the question was if the Liberty would be able to hold together long enough for him to be able to still have control over her. The ship jolted as they passed through the threshold into the Badlands.  
  
"Report on the Dominion ship!" Chakotay barked. Yezeri looked down at his console.  
  
"They're not following us in…they're retreating!" he said with obvious relief. B'Elanna let out the breath she had been holding, and beside her, so did Paris. He shot a small smile at her over his shoulder, than returned his attention back to the difficult job of piloting the Liberty.  
  
"Torres, Report," Chakotay yelled. She glanced over her console, though she knew what it would tell her.  
  
" The warp core is off-line, impulse power down to 68%, our shields are at 52% and falling, the SIF is down to 38%, decks 7-10 don't have life support, there is a hull breach on deck 13 and the main reactor is off- line," she said. Chakotay only frowned.  
  
"I'll have the shields back to you in two hours, as long as we don't hit any specifically rough pockets of space."  
  
"I can't guarantee that you won't," Paris answered.  
  
"Than I suggest we find a calm pocket and stay there until I can get our shields back up. Without them the Liberty will be torn apart in these storms. I'll have a crew on the life support problems and the breach right away," B'Elanna said. Chakotay only nodded, and Torres hurried off the bridge.  
  
*  
  
Chakotay watched Torres leave the bridge, than turned to Paris at the helm.  
  
" Tom, find a place that is fairly calm to lay low in for a while."  
  
"Aye," Paris said, and began to look over the short-ranged scans, looking for a calm place. He could feel Chakotay's eyes burning a hole in the back of his shirt. Did he know? He couldn't. He couldn't have seen the fleeting smile; his attention had been centered on Yezi and his report. Hadn't it been? Oh, God, he couldn't find out. Not now. That was the last thing B'Elanna needed. The last thing he needed.  
  
*  
  
Torres sunk into her bed, exhausted. She had spent the last 18 hours working on the repairs nonstop. She had almost collapsed from exhaustion when Chakotay had ordered her to bed. A small smile touched her lips. It was usually Tom who ordered her to bed. And it was usually only him she would comply to. It had actually been Tom's idea to keep their relationship a secret. They both knew how high of an opinion Chakotay and many other of the Maquis had of Tom and how they would react to him and B'Elanna being together. He decided not to put either of them through the stress theimpending arguments would cause if the news got out. There was enough stress on the ship already. And enough arguments. Neither of them regretted their decision.  
  
The door swished open, and Tom walked in, looking exhausted.  
  
"Well, speak of the devil. What are you doing here? It's 0300. I thought you'd have long been asleep," B'Elanna said. She rose from her bed, every muscle in her body complaining as she did so.  
  
"I wish. I just got relieved of piloting duty until 0800 tomorrow," Tom said, running his hand through his unruly hair. B'Elanna smiled and leaned up to kiss his cheek.  
  
"I figured I'd bring you some dinner, since I'm sure neither of us have eaten yet," he said, bring a large picnic basket out from behind him. B'Elanna smiled and led him to the couch. Tom stretched out onto it as B'Elanna set the food out onto the small coffee table. Then she crawled up to lay beside him.  
  
"Did anyone see you come in here?" B'Elanna asked.  
  
" I don't think so. But Chakotay was shooting daggers at me after you left the bridge," B'Elanna sat up with a start, looking Tom in the eye  
  
"Does he know?" She asked, worried. Tom put his hands on her arms, then pulled her against him.  
  
"No. I don't think so," he whispered trying to sound more reassured than he actually was. He didn't want B'Elanna to worry. B'Elanna sighed and relaxed, pressing closer to him.  
  
"Good. There's already a storm brewing outside the ship. The last thing we need is one inside the ship."  
  
*  
  
Chakotay gave a heavy sigh and landed hard onto the small couch in his quarters. He had been noticing a slight change in B'Elanna's attitude around Paris lately, and vise versa. He wondered if B'Elanna's hatred with the drunken pilot had diminished. Chakotay shook his head and quickly dismissed the absurd idea the she and Paris had become involved. B'Elanna was smart, and knew better than to involve herself with a man who will just treat her like another notch on his bedpost. But then again, he thought, I did hear him deny a couple of date offers lately. That wasn't at all like the drunken Paris he had found in Sandrines a year ago. Again Chakotay dismissed his idea. It was crazy. Paris could not have changed his "who cares?" attitude that quickly and B'Elanna couldn't have fallen from someone like that. Right?  
  
*  
  
B'Elanna felt a hard pain run down the length of her body. She jerked up in the darkened room, startling the sleeping Tom who was lying beside her in bed.  
  
"'Lanna? What's wrong?" he asked groggily. B'Elanna didn't respond, she just sat there, her whole body trembling. Tom quickly sat up and placed a hand softly on her arm. It felt cold and clammy and Tom could fell powerful tremors raking through her. He quickly pulled her against him and started to rub his hands up and down her back in an attempt to calm her. After a couple minutes her shaking subsided to a few small tremors. Tom got up and quickly went into B'Elanna's closet, where he had left a medical kit. He grabbed the medical tricorder and scanned B'Elanna. He frowned at the readings. It looked like she had a virus.  
  
"B'Elanna, I'm going to take you down to Sickbay," he whispered in her ear. She barley nodded, then attempted to sit up. A wave of weakness overtook her and she fell back onto her bed. Tom went over and gently picked her up into his arms. Trying to decide what story to tell Seska when he got to Sickbay he left.  
  
*  
  
Seska was less then pleased when she heard someone enter Sickbay. She sighed heavily, grabbed her shirt and pulled it on, then gave Chakotay a quick kiss before standing up and heading to the front to see who had interrupted them. She saw Paris lower Torres onto a biobed. She thought back to the conversation she and Chakotay had had earlier. They had discussed the possibility of a relationship between the pilot and engineer, but had quickly and easily dismissed it with a simple expectancy that the two had to learn to be a least civil to each other. Seska half-listened as Paris described how he had been in his quarters when he heard something out in the hall. Then found B'Elanna, lying on the floor outside her own door. Seska only nodded, and caught sight of Chakotay coming up from the back, his clothes back in place. She scanned B'Elanna, asked her a few questions, and then ejected her with a hypo.  
  
" You've just got a virus. Take it easy for a few days. You may feel moments of weakness, dizziness, and nausea." Seska said.  
  
" Take off work for about three days," Chakotay said. B'Elanna nodded her understanding.  
  
" Thanks, Seska" she said and slowly lifted herself off the biobed.  
  
"Here, let me help," Tom said. B'Elanna jerked away.  
  
" I can get to my quarters without the help of you, pig," she spat. Tom, taken aback hesitated before realizing what B'Elanna was doing.  
  
"Well, I'm going the same way you are. There's no getting away from me," he said, a cocky smile on his lips. B'Elanna didn't say anything; she just turned and quickly walked toward the door. Tom shot a look at Seska, then followed her. Seska turned to Chakotay.  
  
" What do you think?" She asked. He shook his head.  
  
" I don't know. I see something that makes me think that maybe they are together, but then one of them goes off and says something like that…I just don't know," Seska only smiled, pressing her body against his and locking lips with him. All thoughts of Paris and Torres and an impending relationship were lost as they returned to their previous activities.  
  
*  
  
When Tom got outside sickbay he saw B'Elanna, leaned up against the bulkhead. He quickly went to help.  
  
"You alright?" He whispered. She nodded, putting out one finger. Tom just nodded and put a hand on her arm. After a moment B'Elanna stood up from the wall. Tom lightly placed a hand on her elbow for support, as he led her back to his quarters.  
  
*  
  
Two weeks later Chakotay laid on his couch, thinking. His suspicions of a relationship between Paris and Torres were put to rest after the volatile half-Klingon broke Paris's jaw in three different places that morning. He had, apparently, made a comment to her in passing in the hallway, which she responded to quickly and efficiently.*Now maybe he'll watch his mouth a little more closely* Chakotay thought, but then shook his head. Tom Paris would never learn to watch his mouth. Never.  
  
*  
  
Tom was sitting on his couch nursing a whiskey when his door rang.  
  
"Come in," he mumbled. The door slid open to reveal B'Elanna.  
  
"Hey," she said quietly.  
  
"Hey yourself. Did you come here to break something else of mine too?" he said his voice holding none of the anger that his words implied. He had a small smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye which was in part to the strong whiskey.  
  
"Tom, I came here to apologize. I guess I took the acting thing a little too seriously. Does it still hurt?" She asked, coming over to the side of the couch, her dark eyes reflecting her worry.  
  
"It's a little sore, but I'll live."  
  
"Yeah, I bet that whiskey is definitely helping it 'feel okay.'"  
  
"You want one?"  
  
" No thanks," B'Elanna studied Tom closely for a moment, searching his cerulean blue eyes.  
  
"Tom, I really am sorry. I never meant to hit you that hard," B'Elanna said.  
  
'But you did intend to hit me,' Tom thought, but decided to keep his mouth shut.  
  
"Don't worry about it, 'Lanna. Now Chakotay has no reason to expect anything," he said, reaching out for her hand and pulling her over to sit on his lap.  
  
"But still, to break your jaw…Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?" Tom's eyes brightened a little and he got an evil grin on his face.  
  
"The "making up" might have to wait until my jaw feels a little better." Tom said. B'Elanna only leaned back against him, as Tom pulled his legs up onto the couch, moving them both into a laying position. Soon the two fell asleep.  
  
*  
  
"Sir-I'm detecting a Starfleet vessel on an intercept course," Tuvok called from his station.  
  
"Fleet? What the heck are they doing in the Badlands?"  
  
" Unknown," replied the Vulcan.  
  
"They're hailing!" Yezeri yelled from Ops. Chakotay hesitated.  
  
"Ignore," he said.  
  
" Aye," Yezeri replied automaticly as the ship rocked under the fleet's weapons.  
  
"Evasive actions!" Chakotay barked. Paris was quick to respond, sending the Liberty into a series of loops and dives. Chakotay thanked the Spirits that the stabilizers were working as the ship again rocked.  
  
" Return fire!"  
  
"Aye!" Twin beams of light flew from the Liberty and made contact with the Starfleet vessel. The vessel responded by firing torpedoes.  
  
"Chakotay! We've lost phasers!" B'Elanna yelled, and again the ship rocked under them, sending B'Elanna flying forward. There was a large thud as she hit her head against a console. Paris looked up startled. It took everything he had not to go to her. The lights went off and the dim illumination of the emergency lights came onas yet another volley hit the ship. All around the bridge hanging cables spewed sparks everywhere.  
  
"Shoot!" Chakotay yelled, kneeling by B'Elanna, "A concussion Yezeri! Take a shuttle, go back to that planet. Tell them we need help. " Yezeri nodded and started off the bridge.  
  
"Wait! You'll need a darn good pilot to get back to the planet. Let me go," Paris yelled. Chakotay shook his head, there was no way he'd let Paris go to the Bolian colony for help.  
  
"He's right, Chakotay. You know he is," B'Elanna whispered.  
  
"Fine. But if you run out on us Paris, I swear I'll hunt you down and kill you like the Poocuh you are."  
  
"I'll bring help," Tom said, then with one last look at B'Elanna he ran off the bridge.  
  
*  
  
Chakotay watched as the Starfleet vessel, the Bradburry veered off and chased after the shuttle that Paris was flying.  
  
" Hold position here and wait for the Bolian's help," Chakotay ordered, then helped B'Elanna to her feet and escorted her to sickbay.  
  
*  
  
Damn him. Damn him! B'Elanna Torres thought as she passed the floor of her quarters. It had been two weeks since the battle and two weeks since she had seen Tom. But Paris wasn't the one she was upset at. He had saved her. He had gotten the Bolian's help. It was Chakotay. B'Elanna felt as if she would explode if she heard Chakotay call Tom one more awful thing. He had saved them! And for what? B'Elanna didn't know. She wasn't sure if he had escaped and was looking for them, if he had been killed, or perhaps even worse, had been captured. She prayed he was all right. That he was looking for them. For her. But B'Elanna feared the worse. He was gone. Maybe for good.  
  
THE END OF PART ONE 


	2. Part of Part 2---They're on Voyager!!

Starting Again  
  
  
"It took you long enough. " Harry whispered. B'Elanna carefully turned around to see three people coming up the staircase toward them.   
"How could I let down the only friend I've got?" One of them said. B'Elanna's head swam. That voice. It sounded familiar. But she couldn't think. She was so tired. She vaguely realized that someone took a hold of her arm and began to lead her up the stairs.   
  
*  
B'Elanna's eyes slowly opened to focus on a familiar face.   
"Hey. 'Bout time you woke up. " The man whispered.   
"Tom? Tom is that you?" She whispered. He only nodded.   
"Oh, god. " She whispered as he pulled her into his arms.   
"We thought you were dead. I was so afraid. " She managed out.   
"I'll explain everything later. I promise. " He said, lowering her back to the bed. B'Elanna went to say something more, but Tom bent down and captured her lips with his. B'Elanna's arms snaked up around Tom's neck and held him in place.   
"Tom, how? We thought that you were dead. We found the remains of the shuttle..." B'Elanna asked when the two finally stopped to catch their breath.   
"I was captured. " Tom said simply. B'Elanna went to say something else, but Tom put a finger to her lips.   
"Before you say anything, I'm sorry. I betrayed you. " Tom whispered. B'Elanna's eyes widened in shock, she went to say something, tell Tom exactly what she thought of him, but he cut her off.   
"Not another woman, 'Lanna. Gods, no. I...I led Starfleet here. So they could capture you. I'm so sorry. I prayed that you weren't still on the Liberty, but..." Tom's voice trailed off as he stared down at the floor. B'Elanna reached up and gently laid a hand on his cheek.   
"Tom- it doesn't matter. None of it matters. You're alive, Tom. That's all that matters. That's all that will ever matter,"   
"Oh, B'Elanna..." Tom whispered, bending down and kissing her.   
"Glad to see you two know each other all ready. " A voice said beside them. Tom broke away to see Harry smiling at them from his bio-bed. B'Elanna turned and smiled at him.   
"Good morning Starfleet. Now go back to sleep. " She said, a smile on her face.   
"No thanks, I'm enjoying the show," Harry shot back, giving Paris an amused look that he didn't dare give to Torres.   
"So am I," Torres, Paris and Kim all spun at the voice to see Chakotay sitting up on his biobed across the room. Torres and Paris both swore under there breath.   
"Report!" Janeway yelled, entering sickbay, saving both Paris and Torres from Chakotay's wrath.   
"They'll be fine but-" The doctor's report was cut off by a voice over the commbadge. The Kazon were moving in. All thoughts of Paris and Torres's relationship were forgotten in an instant.   
"We need to get back to our ship," Chakotay said, getting up. Tom helped B'Elanna off the bed and she hurried to follow.   
***  
"Come in," Tom Paris called from the couch. It had been a long couple of days, but finally the crew of the Voyager had seemed to calm down. Some. There was still tension between the Maquis and the 'Fleeters, which could be expected. Of course with one major exception- Tom and B'Elanna.   
Again the doorbell rang. Tom frowned and stood up, going to the door and manually opening it. There in the corridor stood a P.O.ed Chakotay.   
"Chakotay. What a.... Surprise,"   
"Shut up, Poocuh. We have a problem," Chakotay said, stepping into the room.   
"Do we now? Huh I didn't realize that,"   
"Watch it, Paris. This is serious,"  
Tom staid silent for a moment, waiting for Chakotay to start the argument, praying it wouldn't last long. B'Elanna got off duty in ten minutes.   
"How long?" Chakotay demanded.   
"15 months," Paris answered now strictly business.   
"15! She was dumb enough to trust you for 15 months?"   
"Watch it, Chakotay," Paris said, his eyes narrowing.   
"How? How did you ever convince her to go out with you?"   
"It's a long story,"  
"I have time,"  
Tom sighed. He didn't want to tell Chakotay how he proved his worth to B'Elanna. It was too personal. But the alternative was to refuse, which would start a physical fight. And Tom was too tired to beat the tar out of his superior officer that night.   
"Have a seat," Tom waved a hand toward the couch. Chakotay didn't move. *All right, fine. I'll play your way. * Tom thought. He sighed, racking a hand through his hair.   
"Remember when you sent B'Elanna and I down to Tornos II? To get supplies?" Chakotay only nodded.   
"Well, we found two different people who could get us what we needed. I went to meet with one while B'Elanna went to meet the other. We were going to meet back at the hotel later that night. It was two days before you were supposed to pick us up,"   
"Okay, "  
"I waited for B'Elanna, but she never came back. I went out looking for her. It took me three and a half-hours of searching the city until I found her in an alleyway. Her clothes were in shreds. She was bleeding from cuts all over her body, her arms and legs were covered with bruises,"  
"What happened?"  
"On her way back to the hotel some men...she said they were Romulans, jumped her. Stole the parts she had just gotten. They raped her, beat her, then took her to an alley on the other side of town and left her there,"  
"Let me guess you took advantage of her, did the same thing as the Romulans. You raped her,"  
"No. I helped her. Took care of some of her wounds, then carried her back to the hotel. I got a doctor, and called the police. I stayed with her until you came back,"  
"Don't lie, Poocuh. B'Elanna would have told me if she was rapped," Chakotay stood almost nose to nose with Paris, his voice dangerously quiet.   
"Would she Chakotay? Think about how proud B'Elanna is, do you think she'd tell you?"  
"YOU LIE!" Chakotay shouted, grabbing Tom's collar.   
"He's telling the truth, Chakotay. Put him down,"   
The two men spun to see B'Elanna standing in the doorway, her arms crossed. Chakotay let go of Tom, and he fell to the floor. B'Elanna rushed to his side.   
"Are you all right, Tom?"  
"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine," Tom groaned, slowly getting up. B'Elanna stood back up, turning on Chakotay.   
"What the heck is going on in here, Chakotay?"  
"I think you know, Torres. I want you to stay away from that Poocuh,"  
"Give me one good reason to do that,"   
"I'll give you 50,"  
"Wow, wow, wow you two. Hold on now, Chakotay. Before you get into that I'll give you a reason to forget them," Tom said, standing close to B'Elanna protectively.   
"What?"   
Tom took a deep breath and put an arm around B'Elanna's shoulders, pulling her close as he spoke.   
"Because I love her, Chakotay. Because I'd rather die than see her hurt. I'd rather die a thousand times before I was the one to hurt her. I'd give my life for her,"  
Chakotay just stood, bewildered. He didn't want to believe Tom, but some how his words just sounded true.   
"And I feel the same way, Chakotay. I love him. More than I thought was ever possible. No matter what you say, nothing will change that," B'Elanna said, her voice soft. Chakotay shook his head.   
"Just- be careful Torres," And with that the Commander turned on his heel and left the room. Tom and B'Elanna watched him go in silence.   
"Well, that was.... Interesting," Paris broke the silence. B'Elanna only shook her head and slowly walked toward Paris, throwing herself in his open arms.   
"I love you, Tom," She whispered against his chest.   
"I you too, 'Lanna. I love you too,"   
***  
"Torres! You're late!" Lt. Joseph Carey's harsh voice bellowed through Engineering.   
"Shut up, Carey. She is not!" Someone yelled from a console. B'Elanna glanced at the chronometer. 05:58. Her shift started at 06:00. She wasn't late; Carey was still giving her a hard time. Without looking at the acting Chief Engineer B'Elanna went to a console, pulled up that day's assignment, and went to work. Carey stood in the corner, fuming. He hated her. HATED her. She was smart. Too smart for an ex-Maquis. And she was a better engineer. If Carey didn't watch his back she'd replace him. The ship already had a Maquis in the first officer seat and a traitor at the helm. They didn't need a half-breed Maquis as the Chief Engineer.   
***  
"B'Elanna? Are you in here?" Tom called, walking around the empty quarters.   
"Right here, Tom," B'Elanna said, coming out of the bedroom. She had changed out of the uniform and was clad in red sweat pants and a red tank top.   
"I heard what happened. Are you all right?" Tom whispered, stepping close. She gave a small smile and allowed him to pull her against him.   
"You're the first person to ask me that,"  
" I heard Chakotay came to see you. Should I be worried?"   
B'Elanna gave a small laugh and shook her head.   
"No, you shouldn't," Chakotay had stayed away from both Paris and Torres since the argument almost a week before. Although he did shoot Paris death looks on the bridge.   
"What happened?" Tom asked, afraid of the answer.   
"He wanted to ruin the ship, Tom. My way would have worked better and he knew that. He just didn't do it because the idea came form me," B'Elanna fumed, passing her quarters.   
"Then what?" Tom asked, sitting on her couch.   
"He blocked the console. I pushed him aside. I didn't think I had hit him that hard. Next thing I knew blood was gushing out his nose," Tom chuckled, earning him a look from B'Elanna that would have fused titanium.   
"You pack a good punch, B'Elanna. Better than you think. Besides, from the way you've been stalking around the last few days it sounds like he deserved it,"   
"Yeah I guess," B'Elanna said. She went over to the couch and laid down against Tom. He gently ran his hand up and down her back for a few minutes.   
"Tom?"  
"Hmm?"   
"Chakotay said- he said that he gave my name to Janeway. As a candidate for Chief Engineer," B'Elanna said her voice soft.   
"Yeah, he did that today at the briefing,"  
"Do you think she'll even consider me?"  
" I honestly don't know, 'Lanna. But for the sake of the ship I hope she will," He whispered to her. She gave a small smile and buried her head against his chest as he flipped the television on. The two watched an old movie for the rest of the night.   
***  
"Deck one," B'Elanna commanded as she stepped into the turbolift. She sighed. A staff meeting. No, a SENIOR staffs meeting. She's still considering me. She thought. But, as much as she wanted to enjoy it she couldn't. B'Elanna wasn't sure if she was right for the job. Sure, she was a wonderful engineer. The best, many told her. But she wasn't sure if it would work for her. The engineer staff was over 90% Starfleet personnel. Which means that 90% of everyone who worked under B'Elanna would resent her. Not good. Defiantly not good. She didn't care that many would resent her personally, but what bothered her was that it may interfere with the efficiency of Engineering and the engineers work. But, if there was a Starfleet officer as Chief Engineer... B'Elanna's thoughts were interrupted by the swoosh of the turbolift doors opening. She had arrived on Deck 1. Now for the meeting.  
TBC...  
  
  
Okay, sorry 'bout this...but I have a bunch of other fics I hafta write too!! I'll finish this as soon as I can. 


End file.
